Lindy Bop Verona plus size swing dress

Hiya! In today's post I'm going to be talking about the gorgeous Verona plus size retro swing dress from Lindy Bop which I wore on my recent holiday to Spain.

Lindy Bop Verona plus size swing dress review

This dress is really glamorous and made me feel like a million dollars when I wore it. It has beautiful red and black lace at the bust, a nipped in waist and a box pleated skirt which flares out, creating a flattering silhouette (if flattering your shape is your cup of tea). Swing dresses are something I do like to wear occasionally, as the flared skirt makes my waist look smaller. I can understand why 1950s reproduction vintage styles are such a hit with the plus size community - the hourglass figure is very much prized even within our circles, and a little trickery via clothing is no bad thing once in a while.

There's a cut out section in the back of the dress which was in the perfect place to show off my upper back tattoo, but as the dress is very low cut I wore a vest top underneath to protect my modesty when we went out to eat. I don't have any very low cut bras, but if I had one suitable I may have been fine with that much cleavage on display - I just didn't want to display several inches of bra over the top of the dress, especially as for some reason I don't have ANY plain black bras. (Note to self - I need to remedy that!) I love the little cap sleeves. It's probably psychological, but I don't feel bare armed when wearing a cap sleeved dress or top.

Red and black always make me feel quite sexy and powerful, and this Verona dress was probably my favourite evening outfit of the entire week. I wore it out to a restaurant and afterwards to a bar and had plenty of stolen glances. ;)

I have been very reticent to get my legs out ever since I've had Fibromyalgia as any bruising on my shins scars and leaves an unsightly tinge, but I always throw caution to the wind when I'm holiday and lose the worries. As it was on my first day I fell upstairs whilst carrying groceries and whacked my shin and foot against the concrete steps. That added a couple more bruises to the mix. Oops!

Wash and wear

I always try to pack so that I have enough clothes on holiday for every possible mood, and I knew the villa where we were staying had a washing machine which removed some of the anxiety of 'Have I brought enough clothes?!' (I still pack for twice as long as I'm going for!) I deliberately packed things of lightweight material which I could pop in the machine and air dry in the sun in case I had the urge to re-wear them during the week. I didn't end up re-wearing the dress out there, but I washed and dried it when we returned to England and I'm pleased to say it washed well and dried quickly, which makes it the perfect contender for further holidays.

Fit

I'm wearing a size 26 in the dress, the maximum size Lindy Bop do. I had read a couple of reviews which said the dress is very loose around the chest, and as I have a very wide back and F cup boobs I knew if it fit me in the waist, it would be fine. Fit can very much be a matter of trial and error with Lindy Bop - I've had a size 26 which was too small in the waist/upper hip area but great in the bust, a size 24 which was just right, and now this size 26 which is perfect for me. As I was heavily in bloat with both my period and IBS bloat from hell (I had fresh white bread for breakfast daily) I would say the waistline on this dress is generous too. My advice would be where possible to order two sizes of each dress from Lindy Bop and send back whatever doesn't fit. I would say their dresses are probably best suited to those of us with ample boobs - as they're reproduction retro styles I can see why this is, as the 50s - a decade that much of repro clothing seems to be based on - wasn't known for a shortage of chesty ladies.

It was really hard to narrow down these photos as I love this dress and how I look in it so much.

My verdict? A stand out dress I genuinely love, which will be on standby any time I need to knock 'em dead. It's reignited my love for Lindy Bop too. You can read my other Lindy Bop reviews here and here. I do wish they'd consider increasing their size range to a size 32 though. The success of Lady Voluptuous has proven without a doubt that the market for upper plus size retro styles is there, and then some! Their biggest sizes usually sell out first.

I'm wearing:

Lindy Bop Verona plus size swing dress* similar here (but long sleeves)
Big Tights Company lace trimmed vest top from a set of vest & knickers (full review to come)
Big Tights Company anti chafing short legged knickers (full review to come)
Simply Be block heel shoes (limited sizes, similar here)


What do you think of plus size swing dresses? Have you got anything by Lindy Bop?

L xoxo

*dress sent for review

San Pedro del Pinatar salt lake & fatkini shots

Hiya! In this post I'm going to talk about our fun in the salt lakes at San Pedro del Pinatar and what plus size swimwear I wore for the occasion.

Fun in the salt lake - great for aches and pains 

We arrived at our accomodation in Spain very late on the Tuesday evening, so our first full day was the Wednesday. We went to San Pedro del Pinatar, where there's a salt lake just a boardwalk across from the sea. It was a fairly warm day so we all stripped off (except James) to float or sit in the salt lake. If I'd realised the pain relief being in the lake had given me I'd have stayed in longer - I felt great the next day! I'd never so much as heard of a salt lake let alone been in one before, so I had no idea of the benefits. If I go back to the area I will definitely marinate a little longer in the water.

You can also bring up cartons of the mud at the bottom of the lake to slather on your skin as it makes your skin really soft for up to 2 weeks afterwards. Mookie has done this before. Unfortunately the mud smells like rotten eggs so I didn't use it!
The salt lake is to the left out of the shot below, and as you can see, the sea is on the right - just a short walk of about 10 yards from lake to beach.

About the plus size swimwear I'm wearing

All of my plus size swimwear/beachwear in this outfit is past season or older. I knew there was a possibility I'd be getting covered in mud from the bottom of the lake (which stains clothes) so I wore an old tankini top and some black swim bottoms. The tankini top is from Simply Be and is about 15 years old. I wore it to Ibiza in 2002 and Cyprus in 2007 so it's been around. Like a lot of swimwear for plus size women there's not a lot of support for big boobs in this tankini top. It's halter neck which means the weight of my boobs is on the back of my neck, and the straps are thin and really stretchy so no matter how tight I do them up, my girls meet gravity. Halter necks + stretchy straps = no bueno. I think some underwired bikini tops are on the agenda for me soon!

 James's t shirt later turned everything in the wash pink. Oops!

I've got cellulite, I've got bruises, I've got fat rolls and I couldn't care less. I'm happy, especially when I feel water and breeze on parts of my skin that rarely see the light of day out of doors.

On this day there were women of all ages and sizes stripping off to stand on one of the pontoons and get in the lake and no one batted an eyelid at my fat dimply thighs. Why would they, when having fun is on the agenda?

I look at these photos with nothing but joy because I remember the breeze on my skin, floating in the lake, then crossing the boardwalk to go paddle in the sea. At no point did I worry about being fat.

 Mookie and Mike having a great time!

 Us drying off in the sun afterwards.

I'm wearing:

Beach cover up, Simply Be, similar here here
Tankini top, old Simply Be
High waisted bikini bottoms ASOS Curve, similar here
Trousers, past season H&M plus, similar here (peg leg) here (harem style)
Shoes, past season Primark wide fit similar here

When was the last time you let it all hang out in the breeze?
L xoxo

I'm back!

Hello lovelies.

I got back from my holiday in the early hours of Wednesday after a 7 hour delay in Spain. I feel pretty rough after that long in Alicante airport and I'm so fatigued and in loads of pain now, but the holiday was GREAT and we crammed so much into every day.

I have SO much to share with you from this holiday. I have loads of outfit posts to share and also some posts about what we did while we were over there.

What you can expect:

Lots of photos of me in swimwear
Day outfits
Evening outfits
Review items from Navabi, Brastop, Apples and Pears, Yours Clothing, Lindybop etc

While I was away my social media followings increased and I got lots of nice comments, but also some attention from hate sites on Tumblr. I shrugged them off because crying into my wine would've diluted it and that would've been a real shame. ;) I went on holiday with the aim of having fun in less clothes than I'd wear at home, and I did just that. The blog posts I'm going to share here in the next couple of weeks may bring more trolls and haters into my life because there's going to be lots of me in not a lot of clothes shared here, and not in your typical 'flattering' fashion blogger style. There's going to be cellulite, bruises, fat rolls, menstrual bloat and lots more unapologetic shit. Why the heads up? To let you know not to worry about me if you see shit about me on the internet. Just report and block, as I will (and inform me if you see it before me).

I have so many things to share I don't know where to begin, so I guess I'll start in chronological order. It's good to be back.

L xoxo

GUEST POST: 5 Things you need for hitting the beach by Voluptuous Chatterbox

Today we have a guest post by Kerry-Ann from Voluptuous Chatterbox. Over to her!

As the holiday season has begun packing for all occasions can be a bit of a nightmare which is why I’ve put together a post of 5 things which I believe is all you need to have an amazing time on your hols plus a killer look!

Face: SPF Foundation / moisturiser

Can you really afford to sit and slap on your full face of make-up instead of being out enjoying the sunshine? Instead why not opt for foundation or moisturisers with added SPF so you’re able to have the perfect glow and look after your skin! (Check out bareminerals original SPF Foundation here or even No 7’s Triple Protection Tinted moisturiser here.

Lips:

Taking care of your lips can often go forgotten about so to keep them well nourished when you're lying on your sun lounger - apply a bit of Nuxe Reve de Miel® - Ultra nourishing lip stick with honey. (I love this and am always using it!)  or to even go fully summery why not try EOS Smooth Sphere Lip Balm Summer Fruit.

Dry Shampoo:

Whoever invented this is a genius! It’s quick, simple, equals more time outside and the best invention since sliced bread! (I believe anyway). Batiste Dry Original or Batiste Cherry are great! This whole make is simply fab!

Waterproof Mascara:

This should just be included in every woman's handbag and make up bag and the perfect mascara and waterproof protection has to be no 7 Extravagant Volume Waterproof Mascara or Clinique High Impact.

Floppy hats anyone?

To finish of the look all you need now is a big floppy hat and voila you’re ready to go relax and enjoy your holiday. The much added bonus is you look a million dollars, your skin is well protected AND you’ve managed to get ready in record breaking time! Now for those hats check out... ASOS AND Yours Clothing.

You can also find Kerry on Twitter & Instagram.

Burgundy boyfriend jacket

Something I've learned over the last few years since I've been blogging is that more fitted items are a better silhouette for me than big baggy things. Nevertheless I went through a stage of buying oversized jackets a couple of years ago and they swamp me. Taking photos of myself regularly means I've realised I have a short torso and cropped jackets suit me better. But you know what, sometimes I just want to bum around in a really comfy jacket and not care about 'flattering'. And I'd totally had a big lunch out with my friends on this day, so wearing a big jacket was actually inspired. *laugh-cry emoji*

We took this photos at a place called Manor Barn in Bexhill, which has a ruin of an old manor house, as well as existing buildings and some lovely gardens. Most of the gardens were off limits when we visited as there was a wedding on, but our friends Rach and JP had fun looking for geocache finds in the fireplace of the ruined manor.

Every time I'm out and the sun is out I'm a total photo ho saying 'Where's the liiiight?!'

Sun, come at me! I need the vitamin D!

 I had my hair cut and styled on Saturday, the day these photos were taken.

I'm wearing:

Boyfriend jacket, past season New Look Curves
Mosaic necklace, New Look via ASOS
V neck vest top with cross back, Yours Clothing
Jersey peg leg trousers, ASOS Curve
Pointed shoes, past Matalan similar here

I really rate these shoes from Matalan. They're only £6 and they're SO comfortable. I've had Matalan shoes before with painfully thin soles, but these have a better sole and I wear them a lot. They're not wide fit, so I size up and they fit a charm. This silhouette of jacket isn't the big thing this year (bomber jackets are on fire!) so I suggest looking in the charity shops for oversized men's jackets. Go hog wild! I'd love a Tweed jacket like this.

Do you like fitted jackets or big boxy ones like this?
L xoxo

GUEST POST: PUTTING A SPOTLIGHT ON SILLY OLD SEA DOG – Bye Bye Bailey

Today there's a guest post from

www.facebook.com/byebyebailey

Over to her:

As a vintage model, I've worked with a few different brands but Silly Old Sea Dog is up there as one of my favourites for a variety of reasons. They are a local company to me here in Cornwall so we have been able to nurture a great working relationship. It has also meant that Alison – who runs the company – has been able to get her creations modelled by local ladies, a lot of whom are everyday people. This means that:

- Great fit! Samples are made in different sizes and worn, tried and tested.

- Great fabrics – this company tends to import fabrics from America and most are punchy, colourful and unique.

- Great ethics – 100% cotton, made for a small business in a factory in this country, by workers being paid a fair wage. This does all of course mean the price is not as low as what you'd get in, say, Primark, but for very good reason.

- Great range – WOOHOO! They have produced clothing from a UK 6 to a UK 28, meaning women of all shapes and sizes can wear Silly Old Sea Dog. This also extends to their models, who have been a good range of sizes, all of which look fabulous.

Here are my top 3 favourite dresses of all time (worn in their size 18):

This is probably my most favourite, to be honest. There's so many colours going on that you can accessorise with pink, or yellow, or green, or purple, or blue, and nothing will look out of place. Similarly, teaming with black accessories such as a belt or necklace works well, too.

For me, I find this a great fit – the cut sits about mid-waist and flares out over the hips, something that's true of most of Alison's creations. As someone with bulkier arms I sometimes worry about sleeve width too. The arms fit close to the skin, but not tightly. This is very much a hit for me.

This was one of the first Silly Old Sea Dog dresses I wore. It is a style typically associated with the 50s (though in actuality the poodle design only lasted a short amount of time as a fad). I am wearing this a size too big – a 20. As a busty hourglass, often I find items that fit my chest swamp my waist, else I fit to the waist and endure a tight bust (usually my preferred option). This would fit a typical 20 and again, leaves plenty of room at the arms.

I can't leave this one out! Immediately eye-catching, I often get stopped wearing this one simply because it is so much fun! This is another one that fits great; though it is altered to fit my exact body, so perhaps that doesn't count. In any case, this is a gem of a dress that hangs with pride in my wardrobe, and can be dressed for any occasion.

What do you think?

You can find Alison at:
www.sillyoldseadog.com or www.facebook.com/Sillyoldseadog

Love,
Bye Bye Bailey

Yours Clothing Pink Cap Sleeved Blouson Waist Maxi Dress With Side Pockets

I've had this dress from Yours Clothing for a month or so and have worn it a couple of times running errands or around the house but this is the first time I've captured it on camera. It's a deep pink, more magenta than hot pink.

It's a thin comfortable jersey material which does wrinkle a lot in the wash, but here's a lazy gal tip - put it on a few hours before you go out and all the creases will drop out, hence no need to iron. I only iron for special occasions like weddings and funerals.

Sun seeker

I'm wearing
Yours Clothing plus size Pink Cap Sleeved Blouson Waist Maxi Dress With Side Pockets
Faux fur stole, past ebay
Obi belt past season ASOS Curve
Yours Clothing black denim jacket
Strappy shoes past season New Look
Sunglasses Primark in store

I'm wearing a size 24 in the denim jacket. It's generously sized, and has a fair amount of stretch. I'm wearing a size 26/28 in the dress and I'd say it's also generously sized, and as it's thin jersey it has a lot of give in it. I'm wearing shaping shorts underneath as I went for an uphill walk before taking these shots, and strangely they keep me cooler than wearing cropped leggings underneath a dress would. I tried that Body Glide anti chub rub stuff once but it felt really weird. It did stop my legs from chafing, but I'm not used to the sensation of my legs rubbing together like two little meat popsicles. ;) I'm too used to wearing leggings or comfort shorts underneath dresses. With regards to the length of the dress, I'm 5ft 5 and a half, and I hitched it up at the waist and kinda put it under my boobs to stop it being floor length. I'd say the ideal height for someone wearing this dress is about 5 ft 7 to 5ft 8, and any taller than that and you'll have an ankle grazer rather than a true maxi. You can't see it because I'm wearing a belt, but the waist is elasticated. It has short sleeves as you can see in the stock photos on the Yours website. Did I say it has pockets?! Hell yes. It also comes in grey marl, black and navy.

Once again this is a plain jersey item made more interesting with the use of accessories. These shoes were a bargain £3 from New Look a year or so ago, and add a bit of detail.

L xoxo

Floaty and feminine with Navabi and New Look Curves

I knew it wouldn't be long before I wore this jacket again! I couldn't resist. I'm wearing it with a dipped back Zizzi dress I got from Navabi a few months ago.

This is me enjoying the sun and breeze, not my O face!

Today I got my legs out. They're not the prettiest legs in the world but they're MINE. The feeling of the breeze/sun on your body is waaaaaay more important than what randoms in the street may think of you, so please get out allllll those body parts you've been keeping to yourself. #effyourbeautystandards #allbodieshavevalue

A photo posted by Leah ✨🌙⭐ (@justmeleah.co.uk) on Apr 24, 2016 at 10:50am PDT

I've not been the greatest fan of my legs, because of the scars on them and the redness from my Fibro rash, but damn it I deserve to feel the air and sun on them as much as anyone does. Don't let your feelings about your body make you miss out. I'm not going to any more. Legs out 2k16!

You can read my previous review of this dress here - Zizzi wrap effect dress from Navabi. My first outfit with the New Look jacket is here.

I'm wearing:

New Look Plus Size Floral Print Bomber Jacket
Zizzi Wrap Effect Layered Chiffon Dress
Big Bloomers Company Anti Chafing Long Leg Knickers
Lace up shoes, Primark
Ring, Christmas present from Mookie
Necklace, old
Bag, old, similar here

Thanks for reading,
L xoxo